Don't Say Goodbye
by Sweetgrass
Summary: Sequal to Don't Let It End. Does Lina let Gourry leave?


Disclaimer~ I own neither the Slayers of the song Don't Say Goodbye. This story is for entertainment purposes only.  
  
Don't Say Goodbye  
  
//Never leave me alone; don't say goodbye  
I don't want to face my world without you//  
  
Lina watched, frozen in horror as Gourry turned away from her. His hand on the door handle. *Oh L~sama, he's leaving. *That thought destroyed her anger. Full comprehension rushed in. *I can't let him go, * she thought. *If he leaves now, I may never see him again. And I don't think I'll be able to survive that. I can't let him go. *  
  
//Never leave me alone don't say goodbye  
I don't want to lose your lasting love//  
  
Lina stood and called out her voice rough with tears. "Gourry, don't go."   
  
Gourry spun around. He stared into Lina's anguished gaze. He wanted to rush over and kiss her tears away but her accusations lay between them. Lina breathed deeply trying to calm her racing heart. She took a step forward.  
  
//Never tell me goodbye  
I don't want to see you walk away from me//  
  
"I don't want you to leave. Please stay."   
  
Gourry nodded slightly and leaned back against the door.  
  
//If I open my heart I can always find you there  
So I'll never be apart from you  
My heart's on my sleeve  
And even though you start to I hope you never leave me alone//  
  
Lina took another step. "You see, Gourry. I wanted to deal with my feelings. You were always there. Always by my side. I refused to acknowledge my growing love for you because I was terrified. I would rather face a hundred bandits then deal with love. Hell, at least with bandits you know what you're getting into. With love, you never do."  
  
Upon hearing this Gourry straighten. He tightened his hands into fists. He moved closer to hear her better. His pounding heart was deafening him  
  
//If I open up my heart I can always find you there  
So I'll never be apart from you  
In you I still believe  
And even though you started to I hope you never leave, never leave//  
  
"I didn't have the best example of love when I was growing up." She continued. "My mother loved my father so much that she worked herself into an early grave trying to please him. No mater what he wanted she would find a way to give him it. I remember one time when my mom wanted an Empirical tea set. It was so expensive but she really wanted it. So she worked really hard for the money. She took in extra wash, cleaned other people's homes," Lina broke off to wipe the tears from her eyes.  
  
"For one whole year she took any work offered to her. Finally she had enough for that tea set. But that night she gave it to him, my father. Why? So he could go play poker with his friends. He lost every cent of her money that night. And mom, well she died before earning enough for that damn tea set. Well what about dad you might ask. Well, good old dad he shared his love with every thing in a skirt. It broke my mom's heart every time he slept with another woman. He'd cry and say he was sorry. He'd never do it again he promise. Yet he always would. And let's not forget my sister. She would show her love by knocking my around. Once she loved me so much that she broke my arm. Can't really blame her though. After all that was what her boyfriends taught her love was. Then I met you. You, Gourry, taught me how good love could be. But I was afraid that if I admitted that I loved you. It would become twisted, warped like my families. So I told myself that as long as we stayed friend, if we didn't become lovers then I couldn't destroy this beautiful thing between us. Except that didn't work. All I did was hurt myself and chase you into the arms of another woman. Tell me did Rei tell you all the things I never allowed myself to say?" Unable to continue Lina broke down.   
  
She collapsed to the floor again and curled into a little ball.   
  
Gourry realized that Lina still thought that Rei was his lover and after all she reveled today that wasn't surprising. He closed the distance between them. It was his turn now.  
  
//Never leave me alone  
I don't say good-byes  
I don't want to live my live without you  
Never leave me alone (I don't say goodbye)  
I don't want to lose your lasting love  
  
Gourry couched down in front of Lina. He pull her on to his lap and said, "Lina, look at me."  
  
She shook her head no and continued to stare at the floor. Gourry's hands tightened on her shoulders. Lina yelped with pain and he immediately loosened his hold.  
  
"Lina, you're the only woman I love."   
  
She looked up at him. "Then whose Rei?" she asked.  
  
"Rei, is my sword's teacher. Wait that's not true." Gourry said and Lina began pulling from his hold. "Rei, is the mother I never had.' Lina stopped fighting Gourry's hold. "My mother died in childbirth and Rei, well Rei filled in all the gaps she left."   
  
Gourry then told Lina all about Rei. As he talked he pulled Lina closer and closer until her head rested on his shoulder; her arms around his waist and his were around her neck.  
  
"So you see I had to go. Rei needed me. But I was wrong about how I did it. I should have told you. But you see I couldn't. If I had wouldn't have been able to stop myself from admitting my love for you. I was sure you turned me down. I would never would have survived that so I slunk away like a coward. Can you forgive me?" Gourry said.  
  
Lina gave a startled laugh. She buried her head in his chest gathering her courage. She pulled away slightly and looked into his eyes. Her hand caressed his face. "Only if you forgive me also."  
  
Gourry smiled and said, "Oh Lina, I love you."  
  
Upon hearing that Lina pulled his head down and kissed him. 


End file.
